A tribute to Fatima Convent,
Bhavnagar

What Makes Nations Great

 Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhD

As India celebrates 62 years of Independence, one wonders as to what makes nations great. Why is the US an undisputed world power? Why has Britain remained undefeated for centuries? Why has India succumbed to foreign rule so often? Why is India still struggling with internal dissensions and fissiparous forces? What does India lack?

A chance meeting with a British army veteran in a train from Edinburgh to London proved highly revealing. According to him the secret of British success lies in the public support and respect extended to the soldiers. “Soldiers’ loyalty to the nation and readiness for the supreme sacrifice are driven less by material considerations and more by an overwhelming urge to earn love and respect of their countrymen. A grateful nation’s recognition of their contribution to national security acts as the strongest motivator,” he declared.

“Britain never forgets its war heroes. Every major landmark in London is named after distinguished soldiers and not politicians,” he declared with visible pride. To prove his point further, he recalled, “Before World War II, it was not uncommon to see placards hanging outside some restaurants in Paris which read ‘Dogs, lackeys and soldiers not allowed’. On the other hand, even pregnant women used to get up and offer seats to soldiers in London buses. When the war broke out, France capitulated in no time while Britain remained undefeated.”

In an article written two days before the swearing-in of Barack Obama, his wife Michelle devoted 515 out of 863 words to the soldiers and their families. “So as I watch Barack take that oath, I'll be thinking especially about those members of our American family who stand guard across the world and the loved ones who await their safe return.…. My husband and I are deeply grateful for the sacrifices that these families make to protect all American families. And we join them - today and every day - in praying for their loved ones and their safety. They don't ask a lot in return, just a Washington that understands the challenges they face as part of their extraordinary commitment to our country…My husband understands that commitment, and he will ensure America lives up to its end,” she wrote. “On Tuesday night, my husband and I will tuck in our daughters like we always do. Their bedrooms will be different, their home unfamiliar. But they will drift off to sleep protected by that same sacrifice that has kept all of our families safe and safeguarded our freedom for generations -- the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and their families….For that, we could not be more grateful - or more proud,” she added.

Now let us compare the above with the state of affairs in India. Can anyone recall a similar expression of sentiments by a national figure? Except for perfunctory platitudes on Independence Day, the Government has singularly failed to show compassion for the soldiers or tried to redress their genuine grievances. Apathetic political leadership and bureaucracy have made no attempt to understand the intensity of sense of hurt of the soldiers at their continued neglect and deliberate degradation.

Despite repeated representations, India still does not have a war memorial in the capital to honour independent India’s martyrs. India wants to ape the West in all sundry aspects but not in matters that affect the well-being and morale of the armed forces. The Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington in Washington, Arc de Triomphe in Paris and the Cenotaph in London are admired by all Indian visitors. Yet, the absence of a suitable war memorial in New Delhi does not appear odd to them. Surprisingly, it does not even hurt the conscience of the nation. There is no other country that can be so apathetic to the memory of thousands of soldiers who have laid down their lives for its security.

Urban Development Ministry is more concerned with the vestiges of the British rule and opposes war memorial near India Gate in the name of preserving heritage. India Gate was built in the memory of soldiers who died in World War I during the British rule. India has fought five wars since Independence and over 40,000 soldiers have made the supreme sacrifice. Opposition to a war memorial on frivolous grounds is an affront to the memory of martyrs and displays shameless insensitivity to the feelings of those who have lost their family members. But then, no political leader or bureaucrat can be faulted for their inability to appreciate these issues as they never send their progeny to the military.

Look at the treatment meted out to India’s tallest military leader Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, the architect of India’s greatest victory ever. It took the Government decades to determine and release his dues. India has not found him worthy of its highest national honour ‘Bharat Ratna’. No political leader thought it necessary to attend his funeral. In Britain and the US, heads of the State with full national leadership would have made it a point to be present to pay a nation’s grateful respects.

Nelson’s Column at Trafalgar Square occupies the pride of place in London. London boasts of numerous statues of military heroes. No statues of political leaders are seen in the developed countries. India, on the contrary, has not found it necessary to honour Field Marshal Manekshaw’s memory whereas statues of political leaders (even of suspect credentials) dot New Delhi.

It will not be out of place here to recall the speech of President Obama at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention at the Phoenix Convention Center on 17 August 2009. He said, “You have fulfilled your responsibilities. And now a grateful nation must fulfill ours. Whether you've left the service in 2009 or 1949, we will fulfill our responsibility to deliver the benefits and care that you earned.” He termed America's commitment to its veterans as sacred bonds and a sacred trust Americans are honour bound to uphold.

“You have done your duty - to your fallen comrades, to your communities, to your country. You have always fulfilled your responsibilities to America. And so long as I am President of the United States, America will always fulfill its responsibilities to you”, he declared.

Contrast the above pledge and assurance with the treatment meted out to the ex-servicemen in India. It is apathetic to say the least. In the recent past, India was witness to the most unfortunate sight of numerous military veterans returning their medals to the President to register their protest against Government’s indifference to their pleas. Medals earned during active service are the proudest possession of soldiers and their being driven to surrender them should have made the Government sit up and take note. But true to its wont, it remained totally unconcerned and unmoved. Not a single Government leader or official has considered it necessary to talk to the protesting veterans to resolve the issues. This episode will certainly go down as a dark chapter in the history of Independent India.

India won the Kargil War of 1999 at a huge cost – 527 officers and soldiers sacrificed their lives while over 1000 sustained battle injuries, many getting maimed for ever. Yet, a senior Congress leader Mr Rashid Alvi had the impudence to state that commemoration was not warranted as the war took place due to an intelligence failure of the BJP Government. Every Indian soldier, both serving and retired, was aghast at the brazenness of the logic. A notion has been deliberately perpetuated that the military must be kept under control through the bureaucracy lest it acquires political ambitions. Examples of Pakistan and Bangla Desh are quoted to implant fear of military take over in the minds of gullible and ignorant political leadership. A systematic and well planned strategy has been orchestrated to downgrade military’s standing. Sixth Central Pay Commission was the latest master stroke.

Although public at large still holds the military in high esteem, a deliberate media campaign is being orchestrated by some elements with vested interests to show the military in poor light. Instead of appreciating the military for initiating prompt disciplinary action against defaulters – handful acts of misdemeanor and indiscretion in a 1.3 million strong organisation – such cases are sensationalised to paint a negative picture of the services. Historically, India does not have a culture of valuing its military. That is the reason that every invader succeeded in defeating and enslaving the sub-continent. If India survives today despite inept political leadership and the self-serving bureaucracy, it is only due to the unquestioned loyalty of the military and enormous sacrifices made by the soldiers.

Denigration of military always proves fatal in the long run. Any country that discredits the status of its soldiers loses moral right to expect them to die for its security. Great nations are distinguished by the esteem in which they hold their military. No nation that stubbornly declines to honour the martyrs, respect the soldiers and care for the veterans can ever aspire to be counted amongst the great nations, slogans like ‘Mera Bharat Mahan’ not withstanding. ******

 PLEASE VISIT PHOTOGALLERY FOR EXCLUSIVE PHOTOGRAPHS OF BHAVNAGAR

“If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.” ~Pearl Buck

Until now, I had been writing about my childhood experiences during my schooling at the FCHS. To place all this in the correct perspective, I think it is also necessary to describe the life’s and times prevalent during the late 60’s and early 70’s in Bhavnagar. But first, let me start by refreshing the memory of all readers by revisiting the history of Bhavnagar.

Wikipedia mentions that the city which is called as Bhavnagar was first set up in 1723 A.D. by Bhavsinhji Gohil (1703-1764 A.D). The city thus received its name after its first ruler who himself hailed from the Gohil royal family which ruled nearby Sihor. The Gohil clan of rulers at Sihor themselves came from Marwar in Rajasthan sometime in the 13th century. It is believed that Bhavsinhji selected Bhavnagar as his main city because of its strategic location which was well suited for maritime trade. Trading in commodities occurred from Bhavnagar with places as far as Africa, Mozambique, Zanzibar, Singapore and the Gulf regions. Across years, Bhavnagar continued to grow and develop as a trading center. Trade flourished and along with it finances too flourished. In addition due to innumerable stalwarts in education from the region, Bhavnagar also became well known as an important cultural and educational center.

Bhavnagar has many firsts to its credit. It was the first state in Gujarat and the third in India to have built its own railways known then as the Bhavnagar State Railway. Following independence from the British, Bhavnagar became the first Princely state to merge with the Indian Union when its last ruler Sri Krishnakumar Sinhji handed over administrative control of Bhavnagar to the people’s representatives. Bhavnagar received its name as an educational center because of educationists such as Gijubhai Badheka, Nanabahi Bhatt, Mulshankar M. Bhatt, Deepakbhai K Patel and Mukundrai Muni. Bhavnagar and the nearby small towns have given birth to eminent poets and writers such as Jhaverchand Meghani (Mahatma called him the “Raashtreeya Shayyar”;), Manubhai Pancholi “Darshak” (of Jher to pidha chhe jani jani fame), Narsing Mehta (writer of Vaishnav Jan To-The Mahatma’s favorite hymn), Prahlad Parekh, Krishnalal Shridharani, Kismat Qureshi, Nazir Dekhaiya, Barkat Virani, Prajam Raval to name only a few. The list could go on.

My early life at Bhavnagar:

I was brought to Bhavnagar by my parents sometime in early 1961 when I was still a baby. I joined Kindergarten at the FCHS in 1963. The Bhavnagar where I grew up in was a peaceful and safe place. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happened here. Bhavnagar was already recognized as an academic and cultural center. It was a perfect place for children to grow up and for families to stay united. This trend continued into the seventies.

Bhavnagar in the early seventies had a population of around 350,000. People were simple, trusting and honest. Children could safely play in the open on their own. Very few house holds had land telephone lines. The need was probably just not felt. Friends dropped in announced and were always treated to a meal or whatever was available. Information was disseminated through the radio & newspapers such as Free Press Journal, Times of India, Saurashtra Samachar or the Gujarat Samachar. And to own a radio, you needed to have a “radio licence” to operate your radio. If you drove a cycle after dark, you needed to have battery or dynamo operated lights fitted on them. I faintly remember hearing about Pandit Nehru’s death from my father who was openly weeping that day holding a transistor radio by the side of his head. In 1966, when the Indo-Pak war occurred, my father pasted newspapers all across the windows, as entire Bhavnagar maintained a “black out” during nights to avoid being bombed. In the early seventies, I also heard about the exploits of a certain Sunil Gavaskar who was making waves in the cricketing world. The voices of cricket commentators such as Anand Rao, VN Chakrapani, Anand Setalvad, Lala Amarnath, Vijay Merchant, Pearson Surita, Dicky Rutnagar, Bobby Talyar Khan could be easily recognized thanks to the radio. Sometime in the mid-seventies when India won its first overseas series against the mighty England, people celebrated and even distributed sweets in the city.

Costs of Living:

To understand the ambience of the times that we grew up in, one has to also see the costs of living prevalent at that time. Some of the costs that I remember were as follows: My FCHS high school fees were Rs.25 per month (paid in the Principal’s Office to Sr. Sabina). Outside FCHS, Laxman bhai’s blended and shaved ice gola on a stick costed 10 paise, served in a glass costed 15 paise, Jamrukh and Ganderi costed no more than 20 paise a serving while the Cream Roll costed all of 20 paise. Other prices were as follows: Petrol used to cost around Rs 3 per liter, a balcony cinema ticket at Rupam theater costed Rs.2.20, while a cup of vanilla ice-cream at Havmor Ice-Cream costed about Re 1. The common man’s snack of Ghantia costed about 0.50p and you could get Khari Sing for about 10 paise a serving. You could also rent a bi-cycle for 20 paise an hour.

Vegetables & other daily necessities: As the majority of the populace in Bhavnagar was vegetarian, buying vegetables was a daily necessity. My parents used to often buy their vegetables from the main vegetable market near Ganga Jaliya Talav. Most of the vegetables used to cost no more than Rs. 2-3 per Kg. At the market, Sindhi people used to form a large part of the vegetable sellers community. They used to be very enterprising and innovative in their salesmanship. For about 75 paise, you would get a package deal of “marchu-masala” containing pieces of ginger, green chillies, curry leaves, coriander and a lemon!

Peanut oil was used for all cooking purposes and we were all none the worse for it. Saurashtra seemed to produce a lot of groundnuts which were used for extracting oil. The cost of cooking oil used to be around Rs 7-8 per liter. Oil used to be sold wholesale in tins, with each tin having 16kgs of oil in it. In fact, Gujarat state used to be considered the leader in production and consumption of edible cooking oil. Sometime in the early seventies, OPEC increased its prices which led to ultimately an increase in the prices of cooking oil too. This seemed to have a cascading effect and the prices of all daily consumables went through the roof. This was the initial basis for the Nav Nirman agitation in late 1973 which later turned political and finally led to the dismissal of the Chimanbhai Patel government. All schools across the state including the FCHS were closed down in early 1974 for nearly three months due to this agitation.

Transport & travel at that time: As one would expect public transport in buses and trains was a preferred mode of travel. We as high school kids used to cycle our way to schools or when we wished to meet our friends. People used to take a bus for work or cycle their way through. Private transport was very minimal while scooters such as Vespa & Lambretta were just about making their mark. “Ghodagadi’s” were still very much around and I remember traveling in them many a time. The bus fares were cheap with most of them in the range of 25-50 paise. To reach Hill Drive Road from the city center, one had to take the No.12 bus. Bus No. 1 & 2 used to travel in opposite circular routes from Ganga Jaliya Talav to Salt Institute, Gogha Circle, Gandhi Smriti and back to Talav.

When I entered St.Xavier’s College in 1975 for the Pre-Science Course, a bus ticket from Bhavnagar to Ahemdabad costed me Rs 8. When I entered MS University for the MBBS course, the bus ticket to Baroda used to cost me Rs.14 only. Trains in Bhavnagar district were all meter gauge. They were also generally not preferred to go to Ahemdabad, Baroda or even to Rajkot mainly because of the time taken. Trains in Bhavnagar used to be called jokingly as “babu gadi” for their innumerable stops and a certain lack of speed. People may not remember but Bhavnagar had a narrow gauge train too. This train used to travel from Bhavnagar to Talaja and Mahua. Steam engines and third class coaches were present well into the seventies. There were no cushioned seats for the third class while the windows had no metal bars on them (cushioned seats in second class were introduced by the then Union Railway Minister Late Madhu Dandavate in 1978 only). My parents used to travel down south to Hyderabad once in two to three years during our summer holidays. Train travel used to take three days going via Ahemdabad and Mumbai (Bombay then). By the time we reached our destination, we used to be bedraggled and disheveled with our eyes completely red because of the coal in our eyes.

Bhavnagar had an airport as far as I can recollect. In summer holidays, we were all eligible for concessional travel by train or by air. On one occasion, sometime in the late sixties, my father took us to Mumbai by flight. The aeroplanes were all propeller driven being either a Dakota or a Fokker Friendship plane. With the concession, my ticket costed me Rs.32 for the flight. The flight was thrilling as me and my sister peeped out of the window gazing in wonderment at the tiny boats in the sea while we enjoyed the toffees provided by the air-hostess.

Food Matters etc. As far as I can remember, there was no eating out and hence I cannot comment on any of the eating houses in Bhavnagar. But we were treated to the occasional cold drink and ice-cream. There used to be a famous cold drinks shop opposite the Rupam theatre on the way to Alfred High School where you could get a delicious Vimto drink (one by two) for 20 paise. Sometimes, my father used to take me there after he had finished purchasing vegetables from the nearby vegetable market. Following this, we would catch the hourly bus from Ganga Jaliya Talav to Hill Drive Road. It would take a good one hour to travel this distance with the bus stopping en route at any number of stops. But then, time seemed to travel so slowly those days! On the occasional Sunday, we used to visit family friends as far as Ghogha Circle, Diamond Park or even Bhavnagar Para travelling always by buses. No prior appointment or intimation was necessary and one was always made to feel welcome.

There used to be a shop on MG Road which was very famous for its ice cream. There was one particular ice-cream served in a boat shaped container which had three different ice creams colored like the Indian tri-color. It costed Re1.25p a piece and was simply delicious.

This write up on Bhavnagar would be incomplete if I do not make a mention of it famous farsan. Ghantia of different sorts would be available at almost every street corner served with fried green chillies & chutney made of mix containing tamarind water and jaggery. Fafda Ghantia, Sev, Chewdoh, Mamra, Bhajia, Khaman and other types of farsan abounded. Snaks included Ghari, Khakra & Dhokla amongst others. Ghogha circle area used to be very famous for its ragda-patties and pani-puri. At home, I remember my mother make Methi na Thepla, Bhakri, Patra, Chewdoh, Khaman, Undhiyu, Puran-poli, Kadi, Khichdi, Khatol and other similar wonderful Gujarati dishes on a regular basis. Pickles such as Gunda pickle, sweet mango pickle (Gol Keri) was also prepared by my mother. And, in peak summer, we would all at home enjoy the “Keri no Ras” which was simply heavenly. The nap after consuming the keri no ras was also enjoyed a lot. All these childhood culinary experiences have left a lasting impression on me and I have now carried this to the next generation. My wife makes similar Gujarati cuisine at my home here at Malaysia which my children relish a lot.

My mother used to also frequently make Chewdoh at home and pack it in a steel box which I & my sisters carried to our respective hostels at Baroda. I also must make a mention of the famous “Bhavnagari penda” which used to be available at Rs 25 a kilo. The connoisseurs of this sweet however always felt that the “Sihori penda” was more delicious. Visitors used to be given boxes when they left us and the penda used to be exchanged amongst friends during Diwali and other festivals. Bhavnagar was also well known for its red colored Guava fruit and it’s the red pomegranate. We used to carry those whenever we went down south to share with our relatives.

Entertainment in the early seventies: Most of the leisure time was spent with the families together or playing with other children of your age within the Salt Colony. Once a month or so, we were subjected to a treat in the form of movies. There were no air conditioned theaters then (Galaxy Theater was built sometime in 1973) hence I remember visiting the Rupam Theater (near Ganga Jaliya Talav) many times. Other movie theaters I remember were Palace, Deepak, Sangam and Alka theaters. Rupam used to show English movies on Sunday mornings. I remember watching “To kill a Mocking Bird”, “Five Man Army”, “Dracula”, “Laurel & Hardy” to name a few. I also remember the Hindi films which we saw at Rupam theater- such as Dosti, Milan, Farz, Padosan, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Purab aur Paschim, Naya Zamana, Guddi and Bobby to name a few. The last day of the school when we wrote the final examination paper was a thrilling day as we would all go to the movies.

I cannot but help also mentioning about the craze that everybody including me had in a certain Rajesh Khanna. Suddenly, everybody wanted to talk, look and dress like Rajesh Khanna. He was a rage phenomenon in the early seventies. As other kids of that time, I too wanted an indigo colored kurta; my parents duly bought me one and I think I looked ridiculous in it. But, I think I went too far when I wanted to cut a small hole in my new Calico Denim jeans and paste a cloth with a peace slogan on it. My father turned it down strongly. The matter ended there.

And when the circus used to visit Bhavnagar, my parents used to take us there on a staurday evening. I remember the circuses used to pitch the big top at the Ganga Jaliya Talav open space and we used to talk for days on end after a visit to the circus. Since there was no television then, Sunday late mornings were spent on listening to Bournvita Quiz Contests, Cricket with Lala Merchant or a radio program on a new Hindi film. Wednesday evenings from 7 to 8 pm used to be spent listening to the Binaca Geet Mala which used to feature the top 16 Hindi songs of the week. The show used to be anchored by the famous Ameen Sayani who had a wonderful way of speaking which I remember to this very day.

Sometimes on a holiday, we used to visit the Gaurishanker Lake or Bhor Talav as it was better known. Lunch used to be carried and we used to laze the whole day there, even having a nap under the shade of a tree in the hot afternoon. During the monsoon season, people used to flock on Sundays and holidays to see the lake filled to its brim. It certainly was a very popular place to visit.

Festivals in Bhavnagar:

The festival season used to be present from the Ganesh festival until Uttraan. Prominent amongst them would be the Navratri season. For a whole 10 days every night, we used to be treated to an exciting and vigorous spectacle of songs, dance, music and drama. Almost every colony, center and important portion of the town used to indulge in this activity. Make shift stages would appear as if magic in different residential localities and new songs would be blaring from the loud speakers from early evening itself. It did not dampen our enthusiasm that this used to almost inevitably clash with the mid-term school examinations! And when I left for Baroda, there used to be the Ganesh Chaturthi festival which also lasted for days.

Diwali was truly a festive time what with bursting crackers, wearing new clothes, meeting friends and exchanging greetings. The bursting of crackers by children would start many days in advance of the actual festive day. Diwali would be closely followed by the New Year or “Bestu Varsh” where the whole city would be enveloped by festivities. It used to be a wonderful time to be around. At FCHS, we used to have the Christmas holidays lasting for about 8-10 days. It was another wonderful period of our school lives. Even as a Hindu, my parents granted me permission to visit the Church opposite the FCHS along with my friends at midnight on December 24th night. And on Christmas day, we visited our Christian friends where we used to be treated to a wonderful assortment of home made cakes and confections. There used to no space for our regular lunch or dinner after that. I had done this for many years during my school life and I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of these festivities.

The beginning of the year saw us all celebrate the Utraan or Kite flying festival. Starting from sometime in late November, everyday after school, we used to climb roof tops to indulge in flying kites. And just before D-day, my father would take me along to town to buy kites etc. The more enterprising amongst us used to prepare “manja” with broken glass and apply to the Calico threads later wound onto the Phirkis. On Utraan day, early in the morning, youngsters and elders alike could be seen on all the roof tops flying kites. Shouts such as “Kapi Nakhiyo” & “Gyo Chey” would reverberate every few minutes from the house terraces. I can never forget these beautiful & memorable experiences ever in my life which I enjoyed together with my siblings, parents & friends.

Staying at the Salt Colony, there was a cosmopolitan atmosphere, as there were families with children from all over India. Hence, we used to celebrate festivals such as Bhai Dooj, Raksha Bandhan, Dassera, sharad Purnima, Holi etc in an extremely colorful manner. I remember enjoying Holi with my contemporaries from FCHS such as Sudhir Sharma, Milind & Madhuri Gadre, Prasad, Prakash & Ramu Rao, Manjiri & Hemant Natu, Hemant & Neena Srivastava. Lastly, the Indian Independence day & the Republic day used to be celebrated in a grand manner all throughout Bhavnagar. We at FCHS celebrated it with the hoisting of the tri-color and the school parade. After the school function, we children used to also visit my father’s office at Salt Research Institute where there used to conduct games competitions etc. We all had a wonderful time on these days.

In conclusion, I have had a full and rich life which was shaped initially at Bhavnagar. Seventies at Bhavnagar and in India in general was quite different from the times that people live in at present. We did not have so many of todays “indispensables” but nevertheless our parents never let us feel that we were deprived of the important things in life. Parents at home and teachers at the FCHS taught us about moral values, importance of being honest and hardworking and having a positive outlook in life. I have had no egrets and as mentioned many times earlier, my early life experiences and exposure at FCHS shaped my future life. I owe a lot of my success to innumerable persons but foremost would be family and my beloved school and the values which they nurtured in me.

“Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.”

From“The Bible”.

Dr Ravikant Palur,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

References:

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhavnagar

2. "History of Bhavnagar city". http://www.bhavnagar.com/history.asp.

3. www.bhavnagar.com/history.asp

4. ebay, Nov. 2004

5. ebay, Mar. 2008

6. ebay, Mar. 2009

Dr. Ravikant Palur - is a proud alumnus of our school- FCHS Bhavnagar.

Dr. Palur studied in Fatima Convent from 1963 to 1975(long before some of us were even born).

He completed MBBS & MS (General Surgery) from Baroda

He also did his super specialization in Neurosurgery (Mch Neurosurgery)from the renowned

Institute -CMC-Vellore.

Presently Dr.palur works as a consultant Neurosurgeon in Malaysia.

SPORTS @ FCHS: Late 60’s and 70’s

By

Dr Ravi Palur

FCHS Alumni (1963-1975)

If I had to think about sports at FCHS during the late 60’s and early 70’s, two sporting activities come immediately to my mind. The first is basketball and the second football.

Basketball at FCHS: The first thing that strikes you about basketball is the association of Sr Isabel with this sport. To my mind, Sr Isabel almost single handedly pursued the growth of this sport amongst the “fatimites” with true missionary zeal. She went to great lengths to see that the standard of basket ball remained extremely high. Recruitment as a basket ball player was never easy. One had to play “throw ball” for a period of one to two years before you could be considered for playing basket ball. So, only the committed got onto the basket ball team. Sometime in the late 60’s, the State Level basket ball tournament was played at the FCHS. A new basket ball cement ground was constructed in front of the Principal’s Office. We had two days of holidays then. The whole school was agog with this tournament. The tournament was a resounding success and the name of FCHS was in all the state newspapers. This tournament also helped to increase the awareness and interest amongst the students.

Sr Isabel returned from Spain sometime in the 70’s with orange colored basket balls. No one had ever seen one like this before. We students being curious flocked to see these “colored” balls. They used to be all stored in the sports room. The sports room was a separate small building by itself. It used to be located to the right of the library and adjacent it used to be the high wall separating FCHS from the road outside leading to the bus station.

Matches between FCHS and other schools were frequently held. The faithful used to follow to other schools to support the home team. The only other team which used to be tough to beat was the team from Home School or Gharshala (near Takhteshwar). Though there were many students who played basket ball well, the names that now come to my mind are Shadiq and Dominic Cordeiro amongst the boys and Puspha, Audrey, Susan D’Souza, amongst the girls. Dominic once played against the Home School in a match having high fever of 101 F. He was asked to rest but insisted on playing. Puspha was a girl (my one year senior) who had the knack of almost always successfully basketing the ball from the corner. Incredibly, she could basket the ball even from the half way mark! Such was the talent and commitment amongst our convent boys & girls.

It was also during this period that for two years in succession, the playing 5 members of the Senior State female basket ball team comprised of only our convent students. Justifiably, we all felt very proud.

Football at FCHS: Football was introduced sometime in the early seventies for us. Though, we had no prior mentoring or exposure to this game, I was drawn towards this game. As FCHS had no football ground of its own, we used to all practice at a ground some where behind Vidyanagar Colony. Everyday after school, we used to cycle our way there and play there till late evening. We used to be literally dog tired by the time we reached our respective homes. Our football coach was Janak Sir. He was a tall and smart person. He used to make us run round the ground at least twice before we could enter the ground. Some of my contemporaries who played the game really well were Peter Cordeiro (brother of Dominic), Sebastian & Joseph Mathew, Sudhir Sharma, Milind Gadre. We were all once selected to represent FCHS at the District level selections. For this, we had to travel to Songadh to play our match held at Gurukul School. I was not a good player though I was in the playing eleven of the team. For this match, I had purchased football shoes with spikes for Rs. 10 from Peter Cordeiro. These shoes did not fit me well and I hobbled on the ground for the entire duration of the match. My colleagues Joseph, Peter and Sebastian were all selected from Bhavnagar Dist.; Peter even played in the all India Schools competition that year representing Gujarat State.

At school, all the children were divided into two parties- Red Party & Blue Party. I belonged to the Red party along with Sudhir Sharma. In 1974, there was this grand football match between the two parties during our annual sports meet. The match was held at the Parade ground behind the Jail, very close to the school. The blue party had all stars in them and was expected to beat us hollow. I too played in this match. My friend Sudhir (playing at a full back position) however turned in a stellar performance. Almost the whole school turned up for the match including some of the sisters. Members of both the parties were cheering every move of the players. There was truly a festive mood permeating the whole area. Nearby residents turned up in curiosity and stayed to enjoy the match. The scenes were truly unbelievable as the final whistle was blown and we had succeeded in beating the Blue party 2-1. Across years since then, I have watched many a Football World Cup on TV. But this is one match that I will always cherish.

Other sports at FCHS: I would be failing if I did not mention that there were other sports played at FCHS in the early 70’s with equal skill and passion. Students excelled at other sports such as swimming (Prasad Mustrappa), cricket (The Merchant brothers, Sandeep Mehta), Table-Tennis, athletics etc. I beg to be excused if I have left out the names of some of my colleagues here.

In conclusion, I would like to say that there was a great sporting atmosphere in the school. We took our studies seriously but also indulged in sporting activities with equal passion. We were rivals on the field but remained friends off it. To this day, I love to watch sports though my body will not allow me to partake of any strenous sporting activity. This “sporting culture” continues to have a healthy influence on both my mind and body to this day. Thank you Fatima!!

Dr Ravi Palur

FCHS Alumni (1963-1975)

Dr. Ravikant Palur - is a proud alumnus of our school- FCHS Bhavnagar.

Dr. Palur studied in Fatima Convent from 1963 to 1975(long before some of us were even born).

He completed MBBS & MS (General Surgery) from Baroda

He also did his super specialization in Neurosurgery (Mch Neurosurgery)from the renowned

Institute -CMC-Vellore.

Presently Dr.palur works as a consultant Neurosurgeon in Malaysia.

MY YEARS AT FCHS: “FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT”

By

Dr Ravi Palur

FCHS Alumni (1963-1975)

 MY EARLY YEARS AT FCHS:

I must confess that I was motivated to write this piece after I saw the pictures of the old convent on the “wall photos”. I entered KG in 1964 in precisely the same building that is shown in the photo. I remember it even today vividly that it was brightly colored-red, blue and yellow. The KG kids wore a dress which had small pink squares alternating with white squares. Sometime in the 1960’s, (do not remember when) this old KG building was pulled down and in its place a new two storied building was constructed. The ground floor housed the KG once again while the two floors above were to form the girl’s boarding school. This new KG building was not multi-colored but had a dull grayish color. There used to be two very large trees in front of this KG building for years. Behind the building was a narrow long strip of land which had a sand pit which used to be used for long jump in sports. This KG building was also connected to the new secondary section through a small bridge located on the first floor. Mother Superior Pilar was the principal then. I think Sr Maria Kutty joined primary after 1964. If I remember correctly, these constructions were all overseen by a contractor called Bhimjibai Zaveri. Bhimjibhai had a quiet and calm countenance. He was also a tall man and used to always sport a big turban on his Head. I remember all these details because his son Shailesh was my batch until I passed out of the class X1 in 1975.

In standard 4, I was introduced to books by my class teacher Miss Norton. I remain extremely grateful to Miss Norton for creating a love for reading at this tender age; my love affair with books and reading continues till today. I remember Miss Norton as a small, petite and dainty woman. She had hazel colored eyes and quite short hair – upto her shoulders which used to curl backwards. She used to dress up always in light colored skirts. And when she spoke, her voice had a sing-song quality to it. Miss Norton used to read aloud stories from Enid Blyton’s books during the last period of the school. I fell in love with Noddy and his escapades. Much later, I graduated to Secret Seven, Famous Five, Mallory Towers etc. I shall remain eminently indebted to Miss Norton for this action of hers.

School timings then were from 1000am until 420pm. A total of nine periods were there in a day each lasting for 35 minutes. There used to 4 periods from 1000am till 1220 noon. Long recess was from 1220 till 105pm. Then we used to have three more periods till 250pm which was followed by a short recess of 20 minutes duration. Two more periods would follow and the school would end at 420pm.

Dr Ravikant Palur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

MY EARLY YEARS AT FCHS: (Continued)

Continuing from where I left off yesterday, I must add that amongst other teachers who were stalwarts in their fields and made a positive influence on the kids in the early years at FCHS were Mrs.Brooks & Mrs Taboda. I remember Mrs Brooks as a lady who always had a kindly disposition towards the wards under her care. She had jet black well oiled hair which she wore until her shoulders. She used to always dress in a sort of gown when she came to school- for some unexplainable reason I always remember it being chocolate colored! And when she talked, she had a slight nasal twang to her voice. She had legendary patience with all the kids and was instrumental in early training of legions of kids at the FCHS. Her daughter Ann Brooks was my class mate whom I remember as a chirpy girl who had always a ready smile on her face. Ann followed in her mother’s footsteps and also taught at FCHS.

I remember Mrs. Taboda as a tall stern looking lady. She always had a dignified ambience around her and walked ramrod stiff. She dressed in dark colored skirts and usually sported a leather bag on her forearm. She smiled only occasionally and brooked no nonsense from the kids. But, she had a way with getting the best out of all the kids. The children always paid attention to what she said and understood her ways.

Those who did their KG & early years at FCHS during the sixties and seventies must remain eternally grateful to teachers such as Mrs Brooks and Mrs Taboda. They truly shaped our early years.

There must be other teachers who also were involved with KG students, but this is where my memory fails me. I however remain grateful to all of them.

Ravikant Palur, KL, Malaysia.

MY MIDDLE YEARS AT FCHS: (Standard 5 to

This was spent by me from the years 1968 till 1972. In 1968 for class 5, my class teacher was Miss Michael. Miss Michael was an active and energetic lady. I think she hailed from North India as she was fluent in Hindi. For one school function, she wanted all of us to take part in a group song. And she worked tirelessly towards that. Each day for nearly 30 minutes, she would make us practice. Since tape recorders were non existent those days in Bhavnagar, one of my class mates Sandeep Mehta brought a portable gramophone player. The record would be played on it and we would listen to it and then sing it ourselves. The original song was sung by Mohd. Rafi & chorus and its lyrics were “Saathi haath badhana saathi re” from the 1957 film “Naya Daur” starring Dilip Kumar & Vyjayanthimala. I had heard this song so many times that I would muse about it even in my dreams! Our performance was a success and that left Miss Michael and all of us students extremely proud.

In class 8, we had to select an extra language. I took up French and it was taught by our new teacher-Sr Mary. Sr. Mary had a serious expression always on her face which would be hidden by an enormous pair of high powered myopic glasses. By class 8, we had perfected the art of playing mischief in class. She would get easily provoked by the students and that would lead to the students getting ultimately punished. This meant standing out of the class room in the corridor for the duration of the class. Sr Mary used to be called “Maniben” by my classmates for some unknown reason and she used to detest it. Sr Mary however tried her best to teach what she knew from the famous Dondo’s French Grammer. This used to be a thick book with a hard cover which used to be dark red in color. One wonderful aspect about Sr Mary was that if you approached her after school hours or during the recess periods, she would immediately always find time with us to clear our ever present doubts. Unfortunately, I could not grapple with the nuances of French grammer and had very average scores in this subject.

Class 8 was also the year that Algebra was introduced to us for the first time. This subject struck terror in all our hearts at that time. The fun seemed to disappear from our lives as Algebra appeared a very difficult subject to understand and digest-leave alone master. Also in class 8, we had our first class excursion out of Bhavnagar. Our class was taken for a 3 day trip to Baroda. En route we got to see the famous Amul dairy at Anand. We were put up at Rosary school for two nights. On our final morning, we could even fit in time to see Dev Anand’s new film called “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” at Alankar theatre on the day of its release.

There were some other important events that occurred during this period of time at FCHS. The ones that I remember are the accidental burning down of the stage during the annual day function because of the use of fire crackers during a dance on stage (probably in 1968); commissioning of the brand new Basket ball court (in front of the main school building); conduction of a state level basket ball tournament for the very first time in Bhavnagar and that too at FCHS; Sr Isabelle returning from Spain with orange colored new basket balls- but all this is another story!

Finally for Sr Mary and Miss Michael- I remember you very fondly just like hundreds of other students before and after me. Thank you so very much for bearing with us.

Dr Ravikant Palur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

MY FINAL YEARS AT FCHS: (Standard 9 to 11):

At the beginning, I must thank all the persons who have so responded so very positively to all my posts here. It is heartening to read them. We all certainly share a certain common tradition and upbringing.

My final years at FCHS were spent from 1972 till 1975 when I finally completed my standard XI. On the 15th of August, 1972 India celebrated its 25 years after its independence. FCHS did not lag behind in the celebrations. Numerous programs were conducted at school in this regard. One of them that I took part was an essay writing competition held about one week before 15th August. We were allotted one hour to write our views and then submit them. The winners were declared following the parade on the morning of 15th August. I remember that it was a grand affair. School uniforms were well ironed and spotless, black shoes were at their shiniest best, socks were at their cleanest and the hair neatly combed. The school parade was conducted in a clock work manner with Sr Isabelle conducting the school band which played at its liveliest. After hoisting of our national flag and the completion of the parade toffees were distributed. There was a festive air everywhere which seemed to permeate out of school too.

Sometime during this period, the intercom system was introduced at FCHS. Various announcements for the students were made through it. The prayer at the conclusion of school hours was also made through this intercom network.

In January 1974, when I was in class 9, the state of Gujarat was shaken because of events of a cataclysmic nature. No educational institution was spared. I am talking about the Nav Nirman agitation which started early spring of 1974 against a 20% hike in the hostel food fees at the L.D. College of Engineering. This snowballed into a mass agitation to remove Chimanbhai Patel, then-chief minister of Gujarat, on charges of corruption. We at FCHS had a long unaccustomed holiday lasting for many weeks. Most of us students played sports in our respective residential colonies, or studied. There was no television then. Mercifully, the agitation ended after sometime in late March following which schools resumed and normal working order restored.

Dr Ravikant Palur. KL, Malaysia.

MY FINAL YEARS AT FCHS: (Continued)

In March 1975, I sat for the SSCE Examination having completed my schooling by then at the FCHS. The declaration of the exam results was done nearly two months after the exams were completed. It was a formal affair. On the day the results were declared, all students assembled on the basketball court in front of the main school building. We were called into the principal’s office one by one and our mark sheets & certificates were handed over to us by Sr. Anna Joseph who was the school principal at that time. Sr Anna Joseph shook hands with each of us congratulating us and wishing us the best for the future ahead.

After our schooling at FCHS, those students who wished to pursue their college in an English medium were unable to do so in Bhavnagar, as those days there was no English medium college in the city. We were compelled to leave for other cities for further studies. Accordingly, my parents decided that I should do my Pre University Science Course (PUC) at St. Xavier’s College in Ahemdabad. All colleges in Gujarat started admitting students for the PUC the day after the SSCE results were declared. Since, the seats were on a first come first served basis, we had to leave for Ahemdabad the same day as our results were declared. That day around midnight, I along with my father caught a bus for Ahemdabad from the bus stand behind our school. We reached Paldi around 330am and caught an autorickshaw to reach St. Xavier’s College in Navrangpura. I was accompanied by my good friend in school-Joseph Mathew and two other students. All of us found shelter in the hostel room of Peter Cordeiro. Peter was my one year senior in school and was doing his PUC in Arts at St. Xavier’s. He graciously accommodated all of us in his room as we all made use of the bathroom facilities etc. before we got ready. By 7am we were standing in the queue for admission. At 9am, the admission process started. Unfortunately for me, I was not admitted immediately at St.Xavier’s as I was short of the cut off marks list by two marks. It was a set back to me as my name was placed on the waiting list and I had to return back to Bhavnagar. Two weeks later, I and my father made a second trip to St.Xavier’s. We had to wait for two days before we got to see the Principal. After much hesitation, the Principal decided to take me in and I finally found my name in the last list for college admissions.

During this rather traumatic period of nearly one two to three weeks, I got to know my father very well. One day, early morning while waiting to see the Principal at St.Xavier’s college, I saw him lying in bed asleep-unshaven and still looking very tired. I had tears in my eyes as I realized that if I had scored two more marks, I would have saved my father so much trouble. I also realized for the first time how much efforts our parents put to see that we got a decent education. Looking at my fast asleep father, I vowed that day that I would always see to it that I never let my parents down. This was a turning point in my life as since then I never looked back in life and forged ahead.

Dr Ravikant Palur. KL, Malaysia.